WOMENS-HEALTH Messages for July, 1997: Re: ? about natural fibroid passage

Re: ? about natural fibroid passage

From: D. Ashley Hill, M.D. (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Sun, 27 Jul 1997 11:01:49 -0500 (CDT)

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In reply to: michele: "? about natural fibroid passage"

At Sat, 26 Jul 1997, michele wrote:

On the >second day of my current period I passed what I believe is a fibroid. It
>was approximately 4cm and was accompanied by large, thick, jelly-like
>clots.

My question - is it unusual for >someone to naturally pass a fibroid?

I would consider it unusual for someone to pass a 4cm (golf-ball sized) fibroid without having serious pain. Not impossible, just unlikely. Fibroids are usually solid or at least partially solid, so passing a golf-ball through an opening (the cervix) that's normally no larger than a pencil eraser is pretty impressive. Other possibilites include simply passing a 4cm congealed blood clot, having a miscarriage, passing an endometrial polyp (these are usually quite soft) or perhaps a pedunculated fibroid (one that is attached to a long stalk).

Should I be rushing off to the >nearest gynecologist?

Well, I wouldn't rush off, but 2 years is too long to go without a pelvic exam and Pap smear. Pap smear testing (not to mention evaluation of the ovaries and vulvar regions) should be done annually. You cannot reliably predict cervical cancer. The overwhelming majority of cervical cancers I have diagnosed were in women who had not had a Pap smear in many years, and I'll bet that these were largely preventable. So, whether you see a nurse practitioner, midwife, physician's assistant, a primary care physician, or a gynecologist, please strongly consider getting a thorough genital evaluation as part of your annual exam.

Best of luck to you,

--
Ashley Hill
D. Ashley Hill, M.D.
Associate Director
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Florida Hospital Family Practice Residency
Orlando, FL
dahmd@gate.net

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